Nick and Judy were never the kind who fancied expensive dinners. However, both of them had to admit that they could really get used to the kinds of dinners that they had on the Manechester mansion.
The family of horses really knew how to make the guests feel at home. Each dinner felt like eating out in one of those very expensive restaurants where a single meal costed their combined salaries. The ambience was very pleasant as well, with the table having candles and fancy napkins folded in the shape of swans and other birds.
"My parents think it is important to make a good impression for guests." Chandler mentioned to the two cops. "Especially Dad. He doesn't likes others leaving his house with reasons to speak ill of him."
Yeah, if anyone would leave the house with reasons to speak ill of anything, it certainly wouldn't be of Adrian's hospitality. Not with the robes, fancy dinners and comfortable beds. The horse didn't had to worry about that.
Everyone seemed to be having a good time while eating food at the table. All of them were once more back into their costumes, and they were already looking forward to the games they would be playing at the night. Gazelle was back on her dress, and Ben was back on his form-fitting devil outfit, and even reapplied his makeup. Even Josh was once more wearing his "leather daddy" costume, and he had been wearing it all day, as he apparently wore it during the night with his "friends" (some mammals [Adrian and Charles] were avoiding having direct contact with the muscular cheetah's outfit).
As people ate, they talked among themselves. Marcy talked with Ben and Josh, and Chandler was very busy in talking with his girlfriend, while he looked at her face with that lovesick expression of a man who can't believe his own luck. Gabe was at the table as well, and he was talking with Ben as he sat right by his side.
Two who were not talking to anyone were Horne and Ogami. The hybrid and wolf ate silently from their food as they sat side by side.
Horne now ate his meals at the table, along with everyone. Seemingly seeing no problem in eating with others now that they knew he was a hybrid. He ate his food calmly, bordering on indifference, as he simply put the food on his mouth and lazily chewed before swallowing. He was not the most well-mannered mammal, but he certainly was not a messy eater. Although, he had an expression on his face that told he felt no pleasure from eating the food.
"Something, wrong, Mr. Horne?" A voice suddenly asked. Melor looked over to see that Adrian was looking at him. The horse seemed like he was evaluating the hybrid as he ate. "You don't seem like you are enjoying your food. Is it to your liking?"
Melor looked at him for a few moments, before looking at his plate.
"Well, I haven't felt sick yet. So I am alright." The hybrid said, looking at his fork before sticking more food on his mouth. Adrian continued to look at him.
"Yes, of course. But, I am asking if the food is to your liking." The horse said, looking at the hybrid. "Is the taste pleasant?"
Adrian was not asking because he wanted to hybrid to enjoy it. He asked it because he wanted to know if the food was good for his son's guests, who were consequently his own guests. After all, everyone was eating the food, so it was important that it was to everyone's liking.
Melor stopped for a few moments, and then he chuckled.
"I have absolutely no idea." The hybrid said, and resumed eating. Adrian continued to look at him, and now so were some of the other mammals at the table.
"I beg your pardon?" Adrian said, looking intently at the hybrid, who continued to eat, and then said:
"I have no idea if this food is good or not." Melor said, looking at his plate.
"Never had food like this before?" Adrian asked, "Just tell if the taste is pleasant."
"I really have no way of telling." Melor said, and Adrian continued to look at him.
"Well, you are eating it, aren't you?" The horse said, now starting to sound annoyed. As if he thought the hybrid was mocking him somehow. Legoshi noticed that anger building into the horse's expression, and he was quick to intervene.
"Melon can't feel taste!" The wolf said, causing all eyes to be on him. Immediately, the wolf looked down, using a paw to cover his face as he received all of that attention.
The other mammals at the table all looked at the two.
"Wait, for real?" Josh asked, looking at the hybrid. Melor looked around, seeing all eyes now on him. He chuckled once more.
"People say that there is always something wrong with hybrids." Melor said, seemingly unfazed by having all eyes on him now. "I am not sure if this is truth, but I guess that it might actually be truth on my case."
Melor looked around, and pointed at his own mouth.
"I have a birth defect on my tongue." He said, "Now, it is not deformed or anything. It works just fine to talk and swallow, no problem in there. The problem is on my taste buds. Now, I don't know the technical terms for it, but I understand that the nerves on my taste buds didn't formed properly. Because of this, they are pretty much dead. None of them actually works."
"As a result, I am incapable of feeling taste." Melor concluded. "Of course, I still eat. I need to eat, like everyone else, but I can't feel any pleasure from it because I can't taste my food. I could lick sugar and then salt and I wouldn't be able to tell the different. Sweet, salty, sour, bitter, even spicy. I can't feel taste at all."
A few moments, of silence, before Nick spoke:
"Wow..."
"That's... awful!" Ben said, now looking livid. "I mean, I can't even imagine how it's like! If I woke up one day and found out I can no longer taste I think I would-" A nudge from Marcy, who was sitting right by his side, made Ben stop to look at her, and then look at Melor, who was looking very intently at the cheetah.
"I... I would... do my best to keep living, because living is more important than tasting anything." He said, looking at the hybrid, who looked at him, and chuckled.
"That was forced." He said, and Ben looked down, a bit ashamed of himself.
"No need to look like that, kitty cat." The hybrid said, looking at the fat cheetah. "You are not the first to assume that I have it bad for not being able to feel taste. Many have asked right to my face how I could live not being able to taste my food."
"The thing is; I don't need to learn how to live like that." The hybrid said, turning his attention back to his plate. "I didn't lost my sense of taste because of some accident or stuff. I was born without it. So, I never actually knew what taste was like. You can't miss something you never had."
As he finished saying those words, he took another forkful of food, and chewed it before swallowing.
"Although, sometimes I do wish that I could taste things. Most out of curiosity." He said, and then turned his attention back at the others, who all looked back at him. He then shrugged.
"Still, I can get by. I mean, I have my other senses, and they work just fine for me. I can still smell and hear. I am not blind. I am good. In my opinion, being able to taste is overrated. There are so many other kinds of pleasures out there for mammals to enjoy..."
"I can attest to that." Josh said, looking at the hybrid with a smirk on his face. The hybrid looked at him, and he smirked back.
"Do you have some pleasures in mind, Mr. Clawhauser?"
"Well, perhaps I have, Mr. Horne. In case you are... open."
Everyone looked at the two, some of them looking a bit scandalized, but no one really said a word on how those two were shamelessly flirting with each other. Soon everyone focused back on their food.
As they went back to eating, and talking to each other, the matter was soon forgot. Soon other things occupied their attention, like Nick informing Judy that he contacted someone from the cops of Precinct One to learn more of the other cops who were in the hospital (there were not actual news, but they were all stable, what was good). Gazelle was talking to Tyson if he'd seen her phone, as she could still not find it.
Meanwhile, Ben continued to talk with his sister and his ex. Josh also participated on the conversation, but he was also distracted with giving silent flirts to the hybrid on the opposite side of the table. Flirts that Melor gave back to the muscular cheetah, as he was not busy talking to the wolf sitting by his side.
Soon, dinner was over, and the plates were all being take back by the servants to be wash. Adrian and his wife excused themselves to another part of the house, and so did Yahya, who still wanted some alone time. As for the rest of the mammals, it was time to continue their game.
As soon as all of them had been guide to a room, Chandler was explaining to all of them what the next game would be.
"Okay, this next game will be played in pairs." Chandler explained, and everyone soon was choosing partners for the game. By the time they had picked up their pairs, Chandler had just reached for a box, and he said:
"The name of the game is 'Name the Monster'. And no, it is not about guessing which monster is being drawn." Chandler said, reaching out inside the box and pulling out what seemed to be headgears. "This is actually based on the stick head game."
"How do you play that?" Legoshi asked, and Chandler was more than happy to explain.
"Each one of you will be wearing one of these." He showed the headgears, each made for a specific head of one guest. "I'll randomly pick a sticker with the name of a monster in then and stick them to your forehead, and you will face your partner. Then, you will ask your partner questions that will allow you to figure out what monster you are, the one whose name is stick in your head, I mean. Obviously, you cannot just ask what monster you are. It has to be questions that can be answer with 'yes' or 'no'. For example... 'Do I have wings?" or "Am I green?". These kinds of questions. Based on your partner's answers, you will have to guess which monster you are in less than five minutes. The winners will be those who manage to guess correctly before the time ends."
"Sounds alright." Josh said, as he stood by Marcy's side.
"Oh, and Mr. Deerbrook." Chandler said, looking at Gabe. "I once more have to remind you that you are only here as an observer. Feel free to cheer for Ben, but don't give any hints. Alright?"
Gabe nodded, as he already understood that he should not help Ben win. As that was said, everyone was getting on the line to put the headgear and the stickers. First, it was Gazelle and Tyson, and they would be the first duo. As everyone waited their turn to have the sticks attached, something started to vibrate inside Legoshi's pocket.
With widening eyes, the wolf reached out and picked the cicada again. Immediately, he tapped on Melor's shoulder.
As soon as the hybrid turned his head to look at him, the wolf was already talking:
"Melon, we have problems." The wolf whispered to him, and showed the cicada.
"What, someone on the outside again?" Melon whispered at him. Right in front of him, Judy's ear twitched as she heard what they were saying.
"No, not outside." Legoshi whispered, looking back at the hybrid. "Someone is inside of the mansion."
"What!?" Judy said, turning to look at the wolf and hybrid. She was quite loud, and now everyone in front of the line was looking back at her. A few moments of silence followed her outburst, and then Melor opened a smile and he said:
"Yeah, I am serious!" He was looking back at the bunny as he said that. "You can buy a whole carrot cake for less than two zoollars."
"What?" Judy said, looking at the hybrid with a raised eyebrow.
"Seriously, I am going to tell you all the details. To you too Wilde, they also have a lot of options for foxes." Melor said, and he then looked at the rest of the rest of the guests. "Would you guys all excuse us?"
With this, the hybrid and his wolf friend moved the two cops away from the people and into another room, promising that they would be back in time for their turn to play.
"Smooth, Horne." Nick said to his partner. "Real smooth."
"Oh, shut it, Wilde." Melor said to the fox before his attention was once more focus on the bunny that was looking at him.
"What is this about having someone inside the house?" Judy demanded, looking at the two.
Immediately, the wolf explained that the cicadas that he had inside the house have detected movement, and it as not from any of the guests and servants. They were able to recognize those, as it seemed. There was an intruder inside the house.
"So, someone passed through you security again?" Nick asked, and Legoshi was soon saying:
"W-well, yes. That is what it seems. But I don't understand. If someone had passed by the bounded fields outside the house, they would have warned me. How did they entered without triggering the alarms on the outside?"
"Maybe it could be a mistake?" Judy asked, but the wolf shook his head. He was absolutely sure that there was someone moving inside of the house. There was no doubt about it.
"Well, we need to get them!" Judy said, looking at the two. "And we need to take everyone to safety!"
"I agree with the 'catch them'." Melor said, looking at the bunny. "But, I think that maybe we don't need to tell anyone."
"What do you mean?" Judy asked, looking back at him.
"Telling anyone would cause them to be scared. If they get scared, then they will make a scene. If they make a scene, Adrian is going to know about it." Melor rationalized, "And I am not in the mood to have that horse yelling at me and Legoshi again.
"But it could be dangerous!" Judy said, but Legoshi shook his head.
"The intruder is moving away from where we are now. It seems that they are roaming the house."
"See? No problem!" Melor said, and the bunny immediately contested. If there was an intruder in there then of course it was a problem! It could be the same mammal that was lurking around the house! It could be that aggressive dog or even that creature!
"Then it is better for us to find them and capture them before they can do some actual damage, right?" Melor said, looking at the bunny. "So, Legoshi, where are our intruder right now?"
Judy wanted to complain, but she soon was convinced to go with them. So, the two cops now had their dart guns in paws (they now carried them hidden inside their costumes) and were soon moving around with the two mages on the lead.
Legoshi walked on the front, with Melor right behind him. The wolf was holding his cicada and letting it guide him through its chirping. With this, the wolf was able to track the invader inside of the mansion, and the four mammals were walking ahead through the hallways and rooms, as they were right on the track of the invader.
Judy really wished that they were not so worried with being subtle. This way they would be a lot faster, but they were insistent on going slow and avoid causing a scene. Something that proved to be hard with the two mammals with them carrying dart guns and surprising the servants that they found on their way.
However, it did seemed that the two were actually going to manage it. It really seemed that they could actually pull off their plan of apprehending the intruder without causing a ruckus or anyone get the wiser could actually succeeded.
That was, until they crossed paths with Yahya Manechester.
"What's going on?" The horse asked as he saw two of his guests with dart guns in paw. Judy tried to explain, but Melor was quick to step forward and start talking to the horse.
"Just going for a little stroll!" The hybrid said, looking at the horse on the face. "We were about to start our new game when we felt the need to go around the house and take in a bit of sight of the works of art before starting. You know, to clear our minds a little bit before starting the next game.
Everyone looked at the hybrid with raised eyebrows.
That was really the best the hybrid could come up with?
"Really?" Yahya asked, clearly not convinced.
"Yes, really." Melor said, looking at him. "I mean, come on, have you never felt like you needed to leave a room and calm down for a while before you were about to do something that would take a lot of you? I mean, some of the games that we are playing can be quite challenging, mentally speaking. We needed to rest our minds a bit. Ain't it right, Legoshi?"
All eyes turned to the wolf, who was surprised at it.
"Wha... O-oh! Y-yeah, that's right." The wolf said, agreeing with his hybrid friend. "We needed to clear our minds and be ready for the next game. The challenges are very... very... challenging..."
Silence followed, as Yahya looked at the wolf and then at the hybrid. Then, he turned to the bunny.
"Officer Hopps?"
"They detected an intruder inside the mansion. It might be a hostile so we are running to capture them before they can make any damage." The bunny said nonchalantly, and Yahya nodded at this, before casting his gaze back at the two. Legoshi's ears were flat against is head, and Melor sighed in a resigned way.
"Before you say anything, I assure you we have everything under control." Melor said, looking at the horse, who looked back at him unimpressed in the slightest.
"Are the other guests safe?" Yahya asked, looking at the two cops.
"Everyone is gathered in another room and, according to Ogami, the invader is moving in a different direction." The bunny said, and the horse looked at the wolf. His glare was a silent warning at him not to try deceiving him again.
"T-the invader is moving in a different part of the house. Actually, they are moving from room to room at this very moment." Legoshi said, looking at his cicada. "It is like they are looking for something..."
Yahya nodded, and soon, after a quick conversation, they resumed going in direction to the invader.
Yahya was now coming with them, making sure to follow close.
"My house, my business." The horse said when someone tried to contest him on him going along with them. Yahya was a hardened mammal who owned his own private police company, in which he still worked as a field agent. Of course he was going with them, after leaving a servant orders to look for his son and security and telling them to come to offer backup.
And so, it resumed their quest for the mysterious intruder. A quest that made them move around the house, as the intruder seemed to be constantly on the move. At some moments, he was going in a certain direction, and then he moved to the west wing. Then changed directions completely. Then he started move in the general direction of the other guests, causing worry to the five mammals, before going into a completely different direction.
It really seemed that this mammal was looking for something.
They kept like this game for minutes, before Legoshi informed them that the intruder had finally stopped into a room.
"Finally!" Nick said, "My legs were starting to get tired."
"There is someone with him." Legoshi added.
"Multiple intruders?" Yahya asked, but the wolf shook his head.
"No, it seem to be someone of the house. Wait..." Legoshi said, and he focused a little, and then he said:
"It is the security staff! They've cornered him!"
Soon, the group was moving on the specific direction of where the intruder was. Then, as they arrived, they could see five mammals on the room. Four of them were security staff and, they were all surrounding a fifth mammal, who they immediately assumed to be the intruder.
"Hey, boss!" One of the security, a boar, said to the horse as soon as he saw the horse accompanied by the other four. Nearly immediately after, a door on another side of the room opened, and Adrian walked inside, followed by three more bodyguards.
"What is happening here!?" Adrian demanded, before looking at Yahya.
"Father." He said, looking at his father, and then turning to look at the other securities and at the mammal who they were all pointing their dart guns at.
"You." Adrian said, looking at that mammal. The other mammals were all looking at the intruder. This one had his back turned to them, so they could not see his face. However, Adrian was in an angle that allowed him to look at the invader's features, and he had clearly recognized this mammal.
"ZPD, don't move." Judy said, as she and Nick approach the intruder carefully from behind, she and Nick both had their dart guns pointed at the intruder. After a few moments, the intruder spoke:
"Good evening, Officer Hopps."
I know that voice. Judy and Nick thought nearly at the same time, as they continued to look at the intruder, who had his back turned to them, before he slowly turned around to look at them. Immediately, their eyes widened as they could take a good look on whom the intruder was.
"No way." Nick said, as he looked at the intruder with the same surprise as Judy.
The wolverine stood five feet tall, as it was common for his species, and he overall looked standard. Brown fur, dark brown muzzle, black eyes, and long claws on his paws, which were raise in surrender. He was dressed rather elegantly, with a red social shirt and long pants and a brown suit over his body, making him look rather professional, with a pink flower pin on the lapel, apparently to give some kind of charm. He had a calm demeanor, and he looked at the two cops with a smile on his face.
Nick and Judy could only stare back at the wolverine, as they recognized him, and knew exactly who it was.
And apparently, so did Yahya.
"Charles Clawde." The horse said as he looked at the wolverine with crossed arms.
"Hello, Mr. Manechester." Said the wolverine, looking at the horse with a friendly smile. "Good seeing you again. And it is good to see you two again as well, Officers."
Judy and Nick continued to look at the wolverine, both still surprised for seeing him in there. Nick recovered faster, and he soon was speaking to the wolverine.
"Hi, Chuckles."
Charles "Chuckles" Clawde. That was a name that Nick and Judy had some knowing off. In part because it was one of the first cases that they worked together as partners.
A case that actually turned out to be a whole bunch of cases. All of them related to Chuckles, and to another name...
"Sequoia Towers?" Legoshi asked, looking at the bunny cop after she explained to him.
"Yeah, a condominium project that Mr. Clawde was working on around one and a half year ago." Judy said, looking at the wolverine before her.
"Condominium project?" Yahya said, looking at the wolverine that was sitting in the chair, surrounded by security. "More like an urban reorganization project. One that would seriously affect the whole infrastructure of Zootopia and possibly leave a great number of mammals homeless."
"That, at least, according to what I understood from the project when he came in here two years ago to explain it and ask our support." Yahya concluded, and Chuckles looked back at him.
"Support that you denied. In a very rude way, I must add." Chuckles said, looking at the horse. "You spoke to me as if I was mad for suggesting the project."
"Your 'project' was basically to flood several acres of the city of Zootopia to turn it into a swamp for the construction of your buildings." Yahya said as he looked at the wolverine. "You would make good part of the city inviable for many species."
"I explained to you, it was to open space for other species to have their own natural habitat." Chuckles said, looking at the horse. "It was basically so the animals who need a swamp to live would have a place where they would feel at home."
"At the cost of the habitats that already existed in Zootopia?" Judy asked, looking at the wolverine. "Do you realize that such a project would eventually cause many other mammals to lose their own habitat? That many of them would no longer have where to live?"
"They would have been more than welcome to live in Sequoia Towers." Chuckles defended. "The insides of the builds are designed with inner systems that allow replicating virtually any climate, making each room perfect for any mammals, as all of them would be able to replicate any ecosystem."
"So, they would basically have to move to your buildings and pay you to live like they did before?" Nick said, looking at the wolverine with arms crossed.
"Not a bad plan, if I am to say." Melor commented with Legoshi, making the wolf look at him, as well as some of the presents.
"Your project was ludicrous and an irresponsible venture." Adrian said as he looked at the wolverine. "It basically involved altering the entire infrastructure of great part of the city only to satisfy a personal pursuit of yours. It would affect the lives of thousands of residents of the city and affect the entire inner economy only to favor your own views. That was why the City Hall rejected your project when you presented it to them."
"And after this, you came to us, as well as to other families of wealth of the city." Yahya said, looking at Chuckles. "Hoping that one of us would be willing to help you out."
"And when that didn't worked you decided to try and make your project reality by yourself." Judy concluded, looking at the wolverine, who still had the same calm expression as before. "You started by vandalizing the natural history museum to try to illustrate your idea. From there you passed to bigger and bigger acts of vandalism, like sabotaging sprinkler systems to flood areas, and you even destroyed pipes to cause localized flooding in certain areas of the city."
"You did quite the damage before Officer Hopps and I finally put you behind bars for vandalism, property damage and endangerment of others." Nick said, "But you only stayed in prison for a few days, until you somehow managed to get away. All that you left behind on your cell was a pamphlet of the Sequoia Towers and one very confused panda guard."
Chuckles chuckled at this. Apparently he was having a fun memory about that.
"And, of course, like a good perp, you didn't stayed quiet for long." Nick continued, "You went and started a new string of vandalism, all of it themed around flooding Zootopia. Of course, this time you were careful to never show your face. Instead you somehow convinced a whole lot of mammals to do your work for you."
"Well, I was lucky for finding many mammals that were willing to help me." Chuckles said, "I am good at making friends."
"Those vandalisms continued for a while, until late November of last year." Nick continued, "All of a sudden, they stopped just when we were nearly making a new development on a certain case. So, what happened? Did you stopped finding 'friends'? Or did my partner and I managed to get a bit too close for comfort? Or did you finally gave up on your Sequoia Towers?"
Chuckles looked the fox dead in the eyes. He was still smirking, although he had a strange glint in his eyes as he looked at the fox.
"I'll never give up on that dream, Officer Wilde." He said, with a sureness and intensity that caught Nick off guard.
"I am still going to turn part of Zootopia into a swamp." He said, with the same sureness, and it made all of the mammals look at him. As Chuckles noticed all of the eyes on him, he recomposed himself and resumed, in a much more refined manner.
"I just decided that vandalism was not the way to do it. So, I decided to once more try the more legal ways to do it." Chuckles continued, "Which is why I have been trying to reach some important figures and try to get them to endorse Sequoia Towers."
"Really?" Yahya asked, looking at the wolverine with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes, really." Chuckles said, "After all, it is much better to do things following the law, don't you agree?"
"That coming from a mammal who broke the law quite a lot last year." Nick said, looking at the wolverine with crossed arms, and the wolverine looked back at him with a strange expression.
"Are you really talking with me about not having followed the law properly, Wilde?" Chuckles said, and his tone of voice seemed to carry what seemed to be a silent threat. Nick said nothing, and the two predators continued to look at each other for a few moments, before Adrian asked:
"So, the motive of your presence is here is to look for funding for that absurd project?"
He sounded nearly outraged as he said that, and Chuckles looked back at the horse.
"I made it clear over a year ago that I had no intention of funding such a ludicrous initiative." Adrian said, looking at the carnivore sitting on the chair. "What made you think I would support it now?"
Chuckles looked at him, and he shrugged.
"Well, I guessed that after over a year you have had enough time to think over the project and maybe reconsider it." He said, in a very casually tone. "So, I assumed that it was a good time to try and reach you again, as maybe you would have opened your mind to Sequoia Towers."
He looked at the horse, and then, his smirk widened ever so slightly.
"Besides, I assumed that having a bold project that would involve inclusion for a specific set of mammals could help you in your own incoming venture." He said, with a tone of a person who knew what he was talking about.
Adrian flinched as he heard the wolverine say that, and he kept looking at him, almost as if he wanted to say something back to the wolverine, but was holding himself back from actually saying.
Some of the mammals around noticed that, but they didn't said a thing, instead focusing their attention on the wolverine.
"And you decided to break into the house?" Nick asked him, making Chuckles look at him once more. "Couldn't you have called them by the phone? Sent a letter, or maybe a fax?"
"I always preferred to deal my businesses in person." Chuckles said. "It is way better to make deals while looking at people in the eyes, it makes things better."
He then shrugged.
"Besides, I was sure that if I contacted the Manechester family, they would have tracked me down and tried to arrest me."
"That's obvious." Yahya said, looking at him. "You are a criminal and a fugitive. If you had any contact with anyone of this family you can be sure that the Beastar Corps would have tracked you down immediately, to be sure that you would face justice."
"Did you really thought that invading my house was a good idea!?" Adrian demanded, looking at the wolverine. "Did you really thought that you could just come into my house uninvited and try to talk me into supporting your idea!? You got a lot of nerve, Clawde!"
The wolverine looked back at him, seeming unimpressed. The horse looked at him, and then he turned his attention back to the two mages in the room.
"And you two!" He said, causing the two to look at him immediately. Legoshi even yipped as the sudden cry of anger of the horse caught him off-guard.
"Once more someone have managed to get inside the mansion, after you two have assured me that you would know if anyone tried to break in and would prevent it!" Adrian tirade at the two, making the wolf shrink away as the hybrid remained with an apparent indifference. "Once more you two have proved to be useless!"
"Hey! We have tracked Chuckles here through the house as he was wondering around like a blind guy looking for the bathroom." Melor said, looking the horse back in the eye.
"I was looking for Adrian." Chuckles said, "But this house is so big that it is hard to find anyone."
"And you stay quiet!" Adrian said, and he was about to start yelling at the two mages again, when Yahya asked the two:
"So, Clawde was the mammal who you detected have been lurking around the house earlier?" He asked, looking at the wolf.
"Wait, what?" Adrian said, looking between his father and the wolf. "I didn't heard of that!"
"Well, he may be." Legoshi said, answering to Yahya's question. "I mean, I noticed someone lurking around the house, but I am not sure who it was."
"Why haven't I been informed!?" Adrian demanded, but this time Legoshi ignored him.
"But, if it was the case, I would have noticed when he broke the second layer of the bounded field and got closer to the house, and again when he was right at the door." Legoshi said, seemingly to himself, before he turned to look at the wolverine.
"Did you found a way to bypass detection?" He asked Chuckles. "How did you entered the house without us noticing? I only detected you when you were already inside."
Chuckles looked back at him.
"Oh, a bounded field around the house, huh?" He asked, looking at the wolf. "Pretty good. Well, I guess they didn't helped you with me. I came to the house using the tunnels."
"Ha!" Melor said, pointing at the wolverine. "See?! It was not our fault! He didn't passed through our bounded fields! He came in through the tunnels!" The hybrid concluded in triumph, his hooves on his hips and his head held high as if in pride and satisfaction. He remained like that for a few moments, before he looked at the wolverine once more.
"What tunnels?"
After a few minutes of walking round the house, Chuckles eventually led all of the mammals to a specific room.
It didn't seemed to be a room different from all of the others. At least, until Chuckles pressed a certain wall and it just slid to the side, revealing a staircase that led to what seemed to be an underground tunnel.
"How long has that been in there!?" Adrian exclaimed, as he looked at the tunnel. Chuckles answered that question for him.
"Since before they built this house." The wolverine said. "This tunnel has been in here since the beginning of Zootopia."
"Where does that leads?" Yahya asked, surprised himself that he didn't knew about something like that inside of his own house. The house where he raised his son for many years, and where his grandchildren grew up.
"Well, that depends on to which side you turn." Chuckles said. "If you go straight ahead, it leads you to a bifurcation. If you that right, and then go straight, and then take the second right, it leads you to the nearest building just outside of Vole Gardens."
"Bifurcation?" Judy asked, looking into the tunnel. "Second right? You mean it is a network of tunnels? It covers all of the Vole Gardens?"
"The Vole Gardens..." Chuckles said, "The Savanna Central, and it spreads for the other districts, and a number of them lead straight to the Nocturnal District."
"Those tunnels spread all across Zootopia." Chuckles continued. "If you have a good direction sense, you can use them to get anywhere in the city. It even goes as far as to connect with Outback Island and with the Meadowlands."
Nick whistled as he looked at that, and Judy continued to look at the tunnel. She couldn't help but notice that the tunnel was somehow familiar.
Not that she had ever seen that specific tunnel before, but she was sure that she had seen a tunnel like this one before. Then, it hit her.
"Hey, this tunnel was dug by rabbits!" Judy said, recognizing the style of digging in there. The kind often made when rabbits used their paws to dig through loose soil and then strengthened the tunnels with other materials to make them as sturdy as a house.
That was how her own house was build. The underground part of it, at least.
"That's right, Officer Hopps." Chuckles said, looking at the bunny. "But not just any rabbits. This tunnel was actually made by your ancestors."
Judy Immediately looked up at the wolverine, who was smirking back at her.
"That's right. You can thank the Höhle clan for those tunnels." Chuckles explained. "They started excavating them right after they became responsible for the city. Well, a few years later, actually, after they finished excavating their home. They wanted to have clear path for the entire region, so they made those tunnels connecting their home to everywhere else."
"So those tunnels really go through all of Zootopia?" Yahya asked. "Every corner of it?"
"All save for what is left of the Marshlands." The wolverine said, looking at the horse. "Those tunnels have been in here ever since the starting years of Zootopia. In fact, many of the oldest places in Zootopia connect to them directly. Some old buildings in each district, some historical landmarks, and some old mansions like this one."
Yahya and Adrian shared a look. It was obvious that both of them were surprised for knowing that was a secret access to their house that neither of them had ever been aware of, despite having live there for decades.
"So, it is actually truth." Nick said. "The secret Zootopian tunnels are real. Man, Honey will go crazy when she hears that."
"Nick, you knew about those tunnels?" Judy said, looking at her partner.
"I heard about it." Nick said, looking at his partner. "It is an old story, about someone have built those tunnels that connect everywhere in Zootopia. You basically can go underground and come out in any place of the city. I thought it was just an urban legend."
"Well, this is no legend." Chuckles said, looking at the fox. "Those stories you heard of the tunnels, most of them are truth. They were really use in the old day by the abolitionists to help slaves escape from their lords. They really were use in the days of prohibition to smuggle beer in and out of the city. And they really served to smuggle heavy drugs in the early eighties when crack started exploding around."
"And all of that started because a family of bunnies wanted to have access to all of the land that they now shared with foxes and sheep." Chuckles concluded. "They build it so they could go anywhere inside of their domain at any time they wanted, and could better keep an eye on the land they own. All mages know about those tunnels."
As he said that, Yahya and Adrian immediately looked at the wolf and hybrid.
"What?" Legoshi asked, seeing the way they looked at him. "W-we didn't knew about that! Honest!"
"I mean all mages who live in the city." Chuckles added, causing the attention to turn to him once more. "Of course, the tunnels are technically free to use, but it is not a good idea to get caught by the clans using the tunnels without asking them first."
Everyone took in what the wolverine had just told all of them. After a while, Nick asked a question:
"Wait a minute. How do you know all of that?"
Chuckles looked at him for a few moments, and he smiled at the fox.
"No." Nick said, looking at the wolverine. "Don't tell me that you are a mage."
Chuckles looked at him for a moment, now with actual surprise, before he started to laugh.
Everyone looked at him as he laughed, before he finally stopped as he sighed, and then he said:
"Me, a mage?" He seemed to be deep in thought as he said that. "Ah, that would be really nice... I definitely would not feel out of place in the house I grew up into."
Everyone continued to look at him. Nick and Judy shared a look, and they turned back at the wolverine.
"So, you are, like, the only one from your family without magecraft?" Nick asked, looking at him, and Chuckles looked at the fox.
"Yes, that would be correct." The wolverine said. "You see, I was not lucky enough to be born in a family of mages, but I did had the luck of being adopted by a mage."
"She was the one who first told me about those tunnels." Chuckles said, "As well as all of the other little things that you need to know if you want to navigate safely through Zootopia in the world of mages."
"She tried to teach you magecraft?" Melor asked, looking at the wolverine, who just looked back at him.
"Well, she tried, but mostly because I insisted. I didn't wanted to believe that I could not do magecraft if I really tried to put my head into it." Chuckles said, "Kept trying for four years before I accepted that I just couldn't become a mage. Now I mostly leave this kind of thing for my adoptive brothers. They are the ones who were lucky enough to be born with magic circuits."
There was a strange expression on his face as he spoke that.
"So, very, very lucky..."
Nick looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"What is that?" The fox asked, looking at the wolverine with a raised eyebrow "Is that a note of envy that I hear in your voice, Chuckles?"
The wolverine looked back at the fox.
"Oh, did I sounded like that?"
"Well, you certainly had that 'why not me' tone as you said that." Nick said, looking at the wolverine, who nodded back at him.
"Yeah, I guess it just came out wrong." Chuckles said, looking back at the fox and neatly sounding like he was apologizing. "Still, even though I could never do magecraft, I learned enough so I wouldn't be a complete fool in case of crossing paths with a mage. Of course, I could hardly face one in battle, but I am sure that I would be able to walk away with all my limbs still attached."
"Oh, really?" Melor asked, looking at the wolverine. "Wanna test out that theory?"
"What, you want to fight me?" Chuckles asked, looking at the hybrid. "I must warm you, just because I look and behave so refined, doesn't mean that I can't give someone a beating if I have to."
They both looked at each other for a long time, as if they were evaluating each other.
"So, I didn't go your name." Chuckles said, with a very respectful tone, but with a hint of defiance on his eyes.
"Because I didn't said." Melor said back to him.
"Not going to present yourself like a good mage?"
"I would if we were about to duel. Are we about to duel?"
More silence followed those words, and everyone looked at the two, some expecting them to fly for each other's necks next. However, Chuckles simply lowered his head.
"Nah, I know better than trying to fight a mage directly." Chuckles said, "Believe me, I learned my lesson after the third time I tried. It was pretty nasty, and the scars certainly will forever remind me of not doing that again."
Melor relaxed as he heard that, and some of the presents let out relieved sighs, as they were ready to intervene if the two tried to fight. They continued to look like they were evaluating each other, though.
"So, it is true that the Manechester have hired their own mages, huh?" Chuckles asked, looking at the hybrid, as well as at the wolf.
"And you have put a bounded field around the house?"
"Three, actually." Legoshi said, making the wolverine look at him. "They work by layers, so we can know when someone is at a certain distance from the mansion."
"Only know?" Chuckles said, looking at him. "Wouldn't it be better if the bounded field repelled intruders? There are fields that do that."
"O-oh..." Legoshi said, all of sudden looking and sounding awkward. "W-well... yes, there are fields like that... but..."
"We decided that a warning field would be enough." Melor said, cutting the wolf as he looked like he was trying to come up with his next words. "We are the kind who prefer to face enemies up front. We are not afraid of getting our hooves dirty."
Everyone looked at the hybrid, including Yahya. Yahya, in particular, was looking at the hybrid with a raised eyebrow.
"And you have bounded fields inside the house as well?" Chuckles asked. "I mean, you did know that I was inside of the house, so I assume that you have."
Adrian looked at the wolverine, and then he reflected on it.
"Wait, is it true?" The horse said, turning to look at the two. They looked back at him. Melor looked to be as indifferent as ways, but Legoshi looked like he had been caught with his paw on the cookie pot.
"Did you two put those... 'bounded fields' inside my house?" Adrian asked, nearly sounding outraged.
"No!" Legoshi was quick to answer, not liking the anger that was showing on the face of the horse.
"Then how did you know I was inside?" Chuckles asked.
"And how did you managed to track him inside of the mansion?" Yahya said, "And know that he was surrounded by the security?"
Legoshi looked at the older horse, then at Adrian, and then all around, to the many eyes that were on him. The wolf lowered his head, and pointed to a point on the wall.
Everyone followed his finger and looked at a spot above one of the doors. They looked at the spot for a moment, and they realized that there was something on the wall. At first, it seemed to be only a spot on the wall. However, by looking very attentively, they could see that the "spot" was moving. It was...
"A bug?" Judy asked, looking at the thing, and then, Chuckles said:
"A familiar."
"I-I placed them on each room of the house." Legoshi admitted, still looking down. They basically keep watch all over the house for me."
Adrian looked back at the wolf in surprise, which soon turned into outrage.
"Did you put your magic bugs to spy on my house!?" He asked, causing the wolf to flinch.
"Did you put them on every room of the house?" Judy asked, and the wolf still looked down.
"W-well..." Legoshi said, rubbing the back of his head. "Only the ones on the first floor."
"Bathrooms too?" Nick asked, but the wolf shook his head.
"N-not really. Well, Melon suggested I did, but I decided against it. It would be too much invasion of privacy."
"I'll say." Nick said, looking back at the wolf.
"So, basically you have eyes all around the house now?" The fox asked, and the wolf said:
"Well, yes. I mean. Short of." Legoshi said, looking in between the presents, and he looked back once more when he met Adrian's still-angry gaze.
"You see, I cannot see through their eyes, but I can get them to communicate with each other." Legoshi said, and he fished on his pocket and pulled out the cicada of earlier. "By chirping, they communicate over long distances, and this one transmits the information to me. This way I can know when one of them detects movement, and I can even know how many rooms of distance they are by the chirping."
"I also made them be able to recognize certain types of individuals. They can recognize if a person is a guest of Chandler-san's party, a servant, of the security staff, one of the house's owners, or an intruder." Legoshi finished explaining, and he ventured to look up. Adrian was still staring daggers at him.
"And who gave you permission to put all of those bugs around my house?" The horse demanded, making the wolf flinch. Before Legoshi could answer, Melor was the one who spoke, as he stepped between Adrian and the wolf.
"You told us to keep everyone inside safe." The hybrid said, looking in the eyes of the horse as he spoke that. "You told us specifically: 'I don't care what you two do, as long as you keep any more invasions from happening and keep any situation from developing'. Those were your specific words."
Adrian looked at the hybrid.
"Oh, so now you follow my instructions, don't you?" the horse asked, looking at the hybrid with a serious expression, while the hybrid looked back at him with neutrality.
"It is a good plan." Yahya said, surprising everyone, including Adrian.
"Father!"
"I have been telling you for years that we needed more security inside of the house." Yahya said, turning to look at his son. "I've told you to install security cameras in here, but you were always worried about someone might think of stealing your art if they looked at it for too long."
Adrian looked like he was about to protest, but any complaint that he seemed to be building died as he looked at the horse in the eyes. Adrian could do nothing more than to lower his head.
Melor chuckled at it, and Yahya immediately turned to look at the hybrid.
"But, you have still done something like that without informing anyone." Yahya said, looking at the two. "Not a very good initiative. You should have informed us of what you were going to do, instead of just going and doing it- Where do you think you are going, Mr. Clawde?" Yahya suddenly said, and Chuckles, who was sneaking on the tip of his toes, stopped on his tracks, and made everyone look at him as he turned around.
"You better not be thinking you can escape from justice a second time." Yahya said, looking back at the wolverine, who once more had his hands raised in surrender.
"Oh, you definitely are not!" Judy said, looking at him as she pulled her phone from her costume. She was already dialing, when Adrian looked at her and said:
"What are you doing?"
"Calling Chief Bogo. I'll tell him to send a cruiser to pick up- Hey!" Judy said as Adrian snatched the phone from her much smaller paws. He held the diminutive device on his hoof, and all eyes were on him.
"There is no need to call Bogo or anyone." Adrian said, looking at the bunny.
"I just want them to pick Clawde and take him to prison!"
"There is no need for the police to come." Adrian said, and he then noticed that his father was looking at him, and that he seemed to be about to say something about the matter to his son.
"Father, there is no actual danger." Adrian said, "If the ZPD came in here it would only serve to make the guests nervous. We don't need them to worry over nothing."
"We need to take him to prison!" Judy said.
"We can keep him down on the dungeons." Adrian offered. "He is not a mage, so we don't even need to take any special precautions with him or anything. We can keep him down there and the officers can take him with them when they depart in a few days. No one will need to get the wiser about it."
Yahya looked at his son for a long moment, and Adrian looked back at his father. After a few moments, Yahya sighed.
"If this goes wrong, it is all on you." Yahya said, and it sounded like a warning. However, to Adrian, it sounded like all of the permission that he needed.
"'I'll see him taken to the dungeons myself." Adrian said, and Yahya nodded.
"Good. And have someone seal this tunnel." Yahya gestured behind himself. "We can't have anyone else using it to invade our house."
Adrian nodded, and soon, the two horses were going their way. Yahya went to another room to do something, while Adrian departed with the securities to escort Chuckles to the dungeons to be lock away.
This left Judy, Nick, Legoshi and Melor alone in the room. All of them had seemingly been forgot by the horses.
"Sooo... we go back to the game?" Melor said, causing the eyes to turn to him. "I am pretty sure that they are still waiting for all of us to come back so we can have our turn."
As the four mammals were now deciding to go on their way back to their game, Adrian had a serous expression as he and the security escorted Chuckles to the dungeons.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Chuckles said, "Spit on the face of my visionary project a second time?"
"Your 'visionary project' will have a deep negative impact on the economy of Zootopia." Adrian said, not even bothering to turn his head to look at Chuckles. "No one on their right minds would ever support something like that."
"That is only because you keep looking at it by the negative side." Chuckles said, looking at the horse who continued to ignore him. "If you were to open your mind a little bit you would realize just how much this project would help all of Zootopia. Perhaps it would be enough to get you where you have always wanted to be."
"Save your breath, Clawde. I am not interested." Adrian said, still guiding the security through the house in direction to the access door that would lead to the dungeons. Silence followed those words, but it didn't lasted long.
"So, you guys have dungeons in here, huh?" Chuckles asked Adrian. The horse didn't answered.
"Well, it is one urban myth about the Manechester that I just confirmed. I wonder if the other ones are true..."
"You better stop talking now." Adrian said to him, his voice carried a serious warning as he spoke. Chuckles actually wanted to say a few things, but the warning on Adrian's voice was enough to dissuade him.
Instead, he spoke of another subject.
"So, I heard your son is throwing a party." Chuckles said, and once more Adrian ignored him. "And I hear that he invited Benjamin Clawhauser to it. So, is that cheetah in here?"
Adrian didn't said anything for a few moments, but he then sighed and said a "yes, he is".
"I see..." Chuckles said, looking at the horse. "Well, I am surprised that you agreed to have him here. After... you know." He finished the phrase using that annoying tone of a person who knows a secret.
Adrian felt tense as he heard that, as he knew of what Chuckles was talking about. He knew all too well.
Did that wolverine knew the whole story? He spoke as if he did... No. There was no way that he knew everything. It just couldn't be. Adrian had been very careful when suppressing the whole thing. He didn't left any loose ends untied.
"Well, he is my son's best friend." Adrian said, and he had to actively suppress the tone of resentment on his voice that threatened to come any time that he thought too hard about Benjamin Clawhauser.
"Yeah, I heard about that." Chuckles said, "I was not really surprised when I heard that Clawhauser had made friends with your youngest. After all, that cheetah is like, the friendliness incarnated. No one would ever say that he received a sealing designation seven years ago."
Adrian sighed rolling his eyes. He was about to tell the wolverine to be quiet, when something clicked inside his mind as he processed what had just came out of the predator's mouth.
Adrian stopped on his tracks, and he turned to look at Chuckles for the first time since they left that room.
"What did you said?" Adrian asked, making Chuckles look back at him.
"I'm sorry, what?"
"What did you just said about Benjamin Clawhauser?"
"Oh, that he is a friendly guy. I know that because I met him shortly after he moved into Zootopia. You know, before he first had contact with your family-"
"No!" Adrian said, "After that! You said that Benjamin Clawhauser received a sealing designation!"
"Oh, that?" Chuckles said, "Yeah, that's right."
"Sealing designations are a punishment for those accused of committing the most serious crimes." Adrian said, remembering what he had heard back during the time of the Zillah Ferron's interview. "Was Clawhauser accused of a serious crime?"
Chuckles looked at him.
"Is mass murder a serious crime?" He asked, and silence followed those words. Adrian looked very intently at the wolverine, and he said only four words:
"Tell me about it."
This concludes this chapter. Hope you have all enjoyed. This is the last chapter of this month, as I will be working on a different story now, but I promise to come up with a new chapter on the following month.
As for those who don't know, Chuckles is a character introduced in the discontinued Zootopia desktop/Facebook game "Zootopia: Crime Files", I rescued and adapted him to fit in the NaZooverse. Anyway, I hope I am doing the character justice so far.
So, this is all for now. See you all next month with a new chapter.